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with Yvonne MaffeiSat, 28 Feb 2015 04:19:09 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Revving up for Ramadanhttp://myhalalkitchen.com/revving-ramadan/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/revving-ramadan/#commentsSat, 07 Jun 2014 17:50:06 +0000http://myhalalkitchen.com/?p=16552This article is a guest post by writer and entrepreneur Kiran Ansari, owner of Up a Notch Gifts. With just a few weeks left for the most wonderful time of the year, share the spirit of Ramadan with even the youngest members of the family. When they see you prepping for special guests or a ...

]]>This article is a guest post by writer and entrepreneur Kiran Ansari, owner of Up a Notch Gifts.

With just a few weeks left for the most wonderful time of the year, share the spirit of Ramadan with even the youngest members of the family. When they see you prepping for special guests or a party, they can sense the excitement. Make Ramadan fun for all the senses with some of our quick tips:

Touch: Get out the bottles of glue and construction paper and make a Ramadan calendar. You can be as simple or as Pinterest-inspired as you like. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to have 30 “parts” so kids can take one down each day to count down to Eid. Make a chain from paper, hang colorful pegs from a clothesline, hide tiny treats in 30 small cups… you get the idea. I love crafts, but if you’re really short on time, you can buy a Ramadan countdown from Eidway.

Sight: Talk about the stages of the moon and have your children look for the new crescent a month in advance so they know how to actually sight the Ramadan moon. During the month, show them how the moon waxes and wanes until it’s time for Eid.

Taste: You don’t need to spend all your time in the kitchen if you plan ahead. Have the kids help you make a menu for the whole of Ramadan and shop with you, too. They get to choose one snack of their choice for iftar each day (more if they are fasting) and a special treat for each of the last ten nights. Kids can help you prepare some snacks in advance too and neatly label and freeze.

Hearing: Read stories about Ramadan and Eid to your children each night so that they can listen to the buzz about the special time of year. There are so many books about Ramadan and Eid, but one of my family’s all-time favorites is “A Party in Ramadan ” by Asma Mobin-Uddin which shares a story about how a young girl wants to attend her classmates birthday while she is fasting.

Smell: If you don’t have one already, start a Ramadan tradition. It doesn’t have to be something ethnic. Baking crescent-shaped chocolate chip cookies or a steaming hot apple pie to mark the beginning of Ramadan can be your special tradition. Enjoy the aroma waft through your home and pray that this month brings peace and harmony throughout the world.

How do you get the kids revved up for Ramadan? What senses do your activities appeal to most?

Kiran Ansari is a writer, editor and entrepreneur. When she isn’t writing or working on personalized favors and gifts at www.upanotchgifts.com, she is making memories with her kids, one mess at a time.